Rat-bites at tribal residential school’s hostel in AP; several students injured

Anantapur: Some 10 students of a tribal social welfare residential school at Sevaghad in Gooty mandal took treatment at a hospital after they were bitten by rats. The staff at the hostel failed to help the affected students.

The students were sleeping in hostel rooms when they were bitten on Monday night. The hostel is located near Cherlopalli, 1 km from the historic Sevagad, a holy place for tribals in the state.

Sources said about 35 students from classes 9 and 10 in the residential
school had rooms on the third floor of the hostel. The students went to sleep as usual on Monday night. But, a few students reportedly brought egg-fried rice from outside and kept it in the hall.

"A swarm of rats, smelling the egg-fried rice, entered the hall via the
drainage pipes and bit the students while in search of food. Several
students were injured," the hostel staff claimed.

While there was no regular principal, the staff did not help the injured
students, who later approached the Gooty hospital for treatment by spending the travel fare from their pockets.

Though the students were suffering from rat menace in the hostel rooms for quite some time, no steps were initiated by the staff to keep the rats away, the students complained.

The principal was on leave. Vice principal Ravindra Babu said there was “staff shortage” and hence the students had to go on their own to the hospital after the rat-bite.

AISF leader Raghavendra alleged that the residential school management failed to ensure minimum safety to the students. He sought action against the staff.

General physician Dr Ravi Sreenivas said victims of rat-bite must get
immediate medical care by way of TT injection. Further, anti-rabies
vaccination should also be administered, he said.